Daily Republican., 1887-06-20
Poison IN I axes.

The Philadelphia Press has earned
the hearty com nendstiOns OF the great
public OF men, women and children for
investigating and bringing to light the
manner In which poisonous lead color.
ing is used to give cakes and buns the
rich color which can honestly be got
only from eggs. Not less than whole
page Of the Sunday edition OF that
paper 70 devoted to making the expose,
and we hope that It will be read fer ana
wide In time TO save some people from
terrible deaths by convulsions. The
Press hes not depended on rumors for
its information, but II has sent ous Its
own corps OF experienced reporters to
work up the cases, and what 1t sAys
may be received % the truth Of actual
experiments The results Of these OK
perimsnts must be, less highly oolored
cake eaten and the saving OF large
numbers Of valuable lives.
The fscts which have led TO this dis.
oovery by the Press, show that cake
dye used by bakers, in cake and buns
~ substitute for eggs, threatens tho
health and lives OF every household
where such food 10 consumed. The
dye used is chromate Of lead, common
ly known - chiome yellow, and 1t Is .
deadly poison.
The Press designations were CON-
fined TO the Kensington distrios o!
Philadelphia where there are many
manufactures, In which men, women
and children are employed 30 much OF
their time that they do no baking OF
their own and therefore depend entirely
upon the baker for their su pply OF bread
and delicious yellow colored tea bunr,
sponge and lady finger cakes. No less
shan eleven deaths 1t 10 believed have
bean caused by eating cake containing
this deadly poison. Several DEATH
occurred before IN investigation VA
made into the cause, but scientific ex
animation OF one absolutely proveC
thAt they all died from the same cause
The eleven deaths In Kensington II al
due TO lead poison, were caused BY
poisoned cakes prepared by one baker
named Palmer and 1t 10 said his i'm me
diAte arrest is 10 follow.
To DR.. David Stewart belongs tn,
credit Of striking the clue to this dread
full discovery and he tells In the Medi'
cal News OF Saturday last how b,
made the discovery. Being called tt
attend one Of the victims he was con-
WINGED that she WAS intensely poisoned
He examined the house, paid parsiou
lar attention to the plum bling arrange
ments and became convinced that the
trouble came from outside.
He incidentally discovered that the
family had changed their baker auC
that the baker himself had los. mum.
Der Of his family from mysteriou
causes. He visited the baker, in pecl
cd his plumbing arrangements, tesle,
his samples Of Il our and chemicals 10
rAislng dough. The baker demurred t
DR.. Stswar.'s examination OF the con
tents Of . pitcher but in case wher
lives were concerned a refusal to aid q
investigation WAS but Q revelation @
guilt and giving up the pitcher, in
the physician saw quantity OF yello
subssanoe, partly In solution, which b
recognized a. chrome yellow. Thel
was the cause Of 90 many mysteriou
deaths In that vicinity. II rem sine
for the Press staff to work up the res
OF the discovery. They went throug
the distric. and Purchased sam Piles q
rich yellow cake from twenty ba gers
and four bottles OF cake dye used Il
ooloring cake. These were all taken I
DR.. Laurence Wolff, demonstrator {
chemistry In the Jefferson Medical Co
le2e. Poisonous material was found l
six out OF twenty-four cases.
That there WAS poison found In bu
six tu Of twenty samples OF cake sho ,
that there were fourteen bakers gu.
tw,nsy who did not use sutfi silent lea
In coloring to produce death. This In
portAnt discovery by DR.. Stewart 81
the Press reporters will create q pr
found sensation no doubt.
All cake colored by cake dyes co
taining poison will, OF course, rapid
disappear from every cake case
Philadelphia and surrounding tow
and cities ss we'll, and though the
may be harmless artificial coloring I,
cakes, those who use them will be- Il
more exActing that they shall be color
with eggs as they purport to be. tt
Investigation should not end, no We 7e
until the baker who sold the poisone
cake to the Dsi.el and Palmer fam,li
until eleven OF them died In territ
commissions, is inoar ,erAted In the pei
3entiAry.